, 1887-07-31
CROOKS CAMPAIGN.
How the Old Indian Fighter Scat
tered the Red Cloud Sioux.
Marching for Days Over Bad Lands
Without Food or Water.
Scout Battesse's Practical Method
of Obtaining Indian News.

aH Wv AloNh "hhSbh RioA wac law
cally his headquarters during the summer
of 1876. This campaign was one of the
most important ever ~inaugurated in the
West. 1t demoralized the tribes led by
Crazy Horse and Dull Knife, both noted
chiefs, whose terrible de~predations will
be well remembered by pioneers in this
section OF the country. The Sioux often
attacked the enemy long before dawn,
and at sunrise they have formed a Gordon
around the troops whom they wish to de-
stroy. They are cur shots and SPLEEN
did horsemen.
March II, 1876, 400 troops of the Bird
cavalry, under command of Gen. Rey-
mold, a member of Crooks staff, gave
battle to 1900 Indians led by Crazy
Horse, on the Little Powder river. The
fight began at 4 o'clock in the afternoon
and lasted until long after dark. Six
soldiers were killed outright and seven
teen wounded, and it was estimated that
between forty and fifty redskins lost their
lives that evening. The ground was COW
cred with snow and ice, and a cold wind
blew continually. The dead were buried
and the wounded received the best treat
ment possible under the circumstances.
Crooks entire command, which included
Frank GUARD, and Clark, Indian scouts
and guides, and Finnerty, Strahorn and
a New York Herald reporter, fell back to
old Fort Reno, where the wagon train had
been left, and frem there returned to the
Cheyenne military depot, and after reft-
ting and being joined by about 600 troops
of the 18th infantry, started for the seat
of war once more.
The second engagement of the year &C.
Cured on Sage creek, about thirty miles
from Fort .Fetterman, when a party
of Indians shot a herder and attempted
to stampede and run off 500 head
of cattle. Had they been successful the
campaign of 1876 would have ended then
and there.
After the savages had been repulsed
Gen. Crook sent out a ~reconoitering party
of scout under GUARD, Clark, Battesse
and Louis Reshaw. to ascertain the where
abouts of the encmy's camp. They had
scarcely departed when Crook forces were
fired upon and a sharp skirmish ensued.
Several Indians were killed, though not a
soldier was lost or wounded.
The command then moved to the forks
of the Tongue river, where one man was
picked off by Indian sharpshooters shell
tered by high and PERCEPTIONS bluffs. A
move was then made up Tongue river,
where Mai. Turey was left in charge of
the wagon train, while the troops under
Crook started on the trail of 1000 Sit
ting Bull Sioux who were known to be
camped on the Rosebud. 1t was here
that one of the greatest Indian fights in
the history of the country occurred.
Fully 200 Indians were killed and ten
whites lost. Many desperate charges
were made. 1t was in one of these that
Capt. Vroom's company was repulsed and
four dead and a number of wounded men
left on the battle field. Capt. Henry per
formed the most courageous and dashing
act of the campaign, by leading the
charge which recovered the dead bodies
of the soldiers and rescued the wounded
men. AS the company was fighting its
way through a large force of Indians
Capt. Henry received a severe wound in
the lower jaw, but retained his presence
Of mind and reached the main force.
The expedition returned to Tongue
river, sent the wounded men to Fort Fet-
terman, and lay in camp until they heard
the news of the Custer massacre, which
had occurred about ten days after the
battle of the Rosebud. In the meantime
GUARD and thirty scouts had encountered
a detached party of Sioux and killed a
number of them. Upon return of the
scouts orders were given for a three days
march. While on a branch of the Tongue
river Gen. Terry's force was met and
the two commands consolidated and con-
tinued together to the Yellowstone
river, where boats were on hand loaded
with ammunition and provisions. Bufa-
~ Dill duu lie pdIIuGTs DundIO SulpS5
were with Terry, and when Crooks com
mand left for Fort Lincoln Buffalo Chips
accompanied it, while the Wild West man
went down the river with one of the boats.
The Fifth cavalry had Joined Crooks col,
umn at the Yellowstone. When the ex,
petition was in the vicinity of Heart river,
a detail in command of Paymaster Col.
Stanton had a running fight of half a day
with a party OF Indians and killed several
of the latter.
A council of war was then held rs to
the ACCESSIBILITY of continuing toward Fort
Lincoln or striking for Deadwood. 1t
was evident hat something must be lone
at once, as the supplies we're about *,
hausted, and it was concluded to reach
Deadwood as soon as possible and replen.
ish their stores. The command marched
for two days through the bad lands, where
there was positively no game OF water fit
to drink. The troops moved in three
columns, and positive orders we're issued